Rep. Mike Rogers is questioning a State Department plan to
allow Russia to build its version of the Global Positioning System, commonly
referred to as GPS, in the U.S., saying the stations would compromise U.S.
security and technology.

According to a New York Times report, the Russian Space
Agency Roscosmos wants to build a half-dozen stations for its GPS system -
known as Glonass - inside the U.S. Rogers and other members of the House Armed
Services Committee said the structures could be used by the Russians to spy on
the U.S. and would improve the precision of Russian weapons through better
satellite communications. The U.S. has no GPS stations in Russia.

"I would like to understand why the United States would be
interested in enabling a GPS competitor, like Russian Glonass, when the world's
reliance on GPS is a clear advantage to the United States on multiple levels," Rogers,
R-Saks, said in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Secretary of
State John Kerry and the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper
Jr.

Rogers is asking the Pentagon to provide an assessment of
the proposal's impact on national security. The Pentagon and Central
Intelligence Agency have also expressed concerns over the plans, according to
the Times report.

The Russians first proposed the stations in 2012 and the
State Department said the matter is still under consideration. For its part,
the Russians said the stations would only be used to improve its satellite
communications. The Russians currently have a station in Brazil and expect to
sign agreements with Spain, Indonesia and Australia in the coming months.